


danganronpa.exe

by ikuzumi



Category: Danganronpa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-23 02:38:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12496716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikuzumi/pseuds/ikuzumi
Summary: A spinoff of the Danganronpa series featuring characters based off of friends and mutuals.





	danganronpa.exe

A low ringing filled my head as I came to, along with the occasional tweet and chirp. My eyes slowly fluttered open, and I could barely make out the form of two people, a man and a woman, standing over me before I found my eyes closing once more on their own. 

"..."

Despite my throbbing headache, I eventually forced my eyes back open and focused on those above me, studying them as my vision adjusted to the light. My line of sight immediately drifted over to the girl, her light blue hair and nose ring immediately drawing my attention. However, that wasn't the most peculiar thing about her; it was the two birds she had with her, one perched on either shoulder. Her outfit was nothing special, though I couldn't help but notice the leather glove on her right hand, extending up her forearm. 

"Hey, she's finally awake!"

I immediately determined her accent to be British, and she nudged the boy next to her, calling my focus to him. He was extremely tall, wearing a crisp, black tuxedo with a red tie and cummerbund, a towel hanging off of his arm. He was the spitting image of a butler, white gloves and all. 

"..."

He said nothing, but smiled softly at me, raising a hand to his hair and brushing his brown bangs out of his face, carefully avoiding his glasses. I looked between the two of them silently for some time, before the blue-haired girl spoke up again. 

"Well, since you're up, we gotta go back, yeah?"

"G-Go back?"

It was at that point that I decided to chime in; my voice cracked, and I recoiled. 

"Go back... where, exactly?"

I looked around, finally taking in my surroundings. I was definitely in some sort of infirmary, or maybe a hospital room... to be honest, I wasn't quite sure. My gaze drifted down to find myself wearing a red sweater over a long white skirt; clothes I had no recollection of owning. 

"The gym! The rest of us decided that we would all gather there and try to figure out where we are."

My head snapped up as I realized that I had no idea where I was, or how I got here. I tried to no avail to remember what had happened prior to waking up, but the harder I pried, the more my head ached. I reached my hand up to run it through my hair, only to find bandages wrapped around my head. When I pulled my fingers away, wet blood remained on them. 

"... What happened to my head...?"

I couldn't tear my gaze away from my fingers, even as the tuxedo-clad boy began to speak. 

"After we all woke up, we found you in a hallway unconscious. We assumed you hit your head or something, so we brought you here to take care of the cut."

Well, that would be just my luck; waking up in an unfamiliar place after smashing my head into a wall or some such, but that wasn't what concerned me the most. 

"So what you're telling me, is that neither of you know where we are?"

I looked up in time to see them both shaking their heads. 

"... But there's other people here, too?"

This time, they nodded together. I let out a sigh before swinging my legs over the edge of the bed and standing, wobbling just a tad. The girl grabbed my arm, her birds chirping away. She pointed to a side table with a pink backpack sitting on it. 

"That's yours, by the way. We didn't go through it, promise!"

I wasn't quite sure if I could believe that, but I decided to trust in them anyways as I slung the backpack over my shoulders. I'd have to remember to rifle through it later. I rubbed the drowsiness out of my eyes before turning to face the two. 

"I didn't catch your names... or did you already tell me them? I... can't really remember."

I mustered a small smile, gripping the straps of my backpack anxiously. 

"Nope! I'm Laura, and I'm the Ultimate Birdkeeper!"

Laura gently scratched under one of the bird's chins with her pointer finger, and I looked over at the boy next to her. 

"Mako. Ultimate Butler."

He bowed, and I found myself turning a bright red for some reason unbeknownst to me. 

"Nice to meet you guys, I guess. I'm, uh... I'm Blake."

Mako and Laura glanced at each other, then back at me. 

"And your talent?" Laura chirped. 

"T-Talent?"

"Yes, all of us here have one, so you would have one too, presumably."

Silence permeated the air as their eyes bored into me, and I swallowed thickly. 

"I-I... um... I don't know."

Talent? Did I have a talent? I scoured my brain to find the answer to that question, but nothing came up save for more aching in my skull. 

Laura patted my shoulder, snapping me out of my trance. 

"It's okay! You must've hit your head pretty hard, so maybe you just forgot! I'll bet you'll remember it sooner or later!"

I nodded, not entirely convinced. Maybe I was just talentless. It didn't matter, though; I clearly had bigger fish to fry at the moment. 

"The gym, huh? Everyone else is there?"

"Mhm!" Laura was still holding on to my arm. "They're all waiting on us, so let's go!"

And before I knew it, I was being dragged out of the room by a girl with birds on her shoulders, a butler treading quietly behind us. I barely had any time to protest before another woman in an orange apron came bounding towards us. She skidded to a halt in front of me, gasped, then gently slapped her hands on my cheeks and squeezed them. 

"Wh--"

"Are you alright, sweetie? When we found you on the ground, I was so worried...!"

My cheeks were definitely sore from being pinched, but I wasn't about to admit that. 

"I'm... fine? I mean, I feel fine..."

Her face immediately brightened, and she let go of mine with with a gentle pat.

"I'm so glad! Let me know if you feel tired or unwell, I have quite a few herbs that can help!" 

She slapped the green bag that was dancing on her hip with a laugh, and I found my own lips curling into a weak smile. 

"Herbs?"

I snorted a little, thinking the girl was only joking, but my laughter was quickly turned to silence as she reached into her bag and pulled out something that looked uncomfortably similar to rotten garlic. 

"Herbs! I'm Jessie, the ultimate herbalist!"

Jessie shoved the foul-smelling herb into my hands, and I crinkled my nose as I recoiled slightly. 

"A-And this herb...?"

"It's for headaches! I figured that you could use it after you took a tumble and hit your head."

She smiled widely again as I pulled my bag around my shoulder and carefully placed the suspicious-looking garlic-object into it. 

"Well, I'm Blake. It's nice to meet you, I think."

"And your talent?"

Again? What was _with_ these people?

"U-Um... I don't have one. At least I don't think I do..."

Jessie tilted her head and stared, but it wasn't judgmental or disdainful. I averted my gaze nonetheless. Behind me, the butler cleared his throat loudly, bringing me out of my head and back to reality. 

"... Right! The gym!"

I brushed past the herbalist, making the assumption that the others would follow... 

"..."

... But when I realized I was hearing only the sound of my own footsteps, I turned and realized they were all staring at me like I was some sort of wild animal that was just granted the ability to speak. The three of them whispered amongst themselves, and I could feel my jaw clenching out of anxiety. 

"G-Guys...?"

Jessie was the first to step forward, pulling Laura and Mako along by their wrists. 

"Come on then! We've already wasted enough time!"

The herbalist bumped into my shoulder, and I found myself following behind the trio all the way to the gym. 

_What's with these people...?_

Jessie threw open the gym door, and I poked my bandaged head inside. I quickly counted thirteen unfamiliar faces before pushing past the woman and entering the room. 

Most of the occupants seemed as confused as I was, but a handful of them seemed to not mind the situation at all. One girl was calmly petting a husky, which I thought was bizarre by itself. Then again, Laura had two birds, so I suppose it wasn't too off the wall. Another tall woman laughed loudly before headbanging, her pixelized glasses flying off her face. A boy standing next to her scoffed, straightening his red apron with a bandaged hand. 

Mako was the last to enter, and he softly shut the door behind him before gently pushing me closer to the crowd of people. My anxiety was festering, and I could feel my knees begin to shake as I clutched the straps of my backpack tight. 

A man with a funny hat and cape that reminded me of a renaissance faire spoke up, speaking over the crowd and silencing it. 

"Is everyone here now?"

Another person chimed in softly, their tired eyes making me feel melancholic just looking at them. 

"Yes... We checked the entire building. This is everyone..."

The boy in the silly hat beamed, puffing his chest out. 

"Excellent! Let's introduce ourselves then! I'll go first--"

Before he could finish, he was shoved aside by a much shorter girl with her hair pulled up in two buns, reminiscent of pin cushions. He was sent tumbling to the ground, his hat skittering across the waxed wooden floor. 

"Hell yeah, introductions! I'm totally going first!"

I knelt down next to the boy and picked up his hat before helping him to his feet as the pin cushion woman scrambled up onto the stage at the end of the gym. He mumbled out a quiet thank you when I handed him his hat, then turned to face the stage. I followed suit. 

"The name's Ari, and I'm the Ultimate Seamstress!"

Ari struck a pose, making peace signs with both of her hands before hopping down from the stage. I wrung my hands nervously in front of me as the man I helped up from the floor took Ari's spot on the stage, bowing. 

"Griffin, Ultimate Thespian. Charmed!"

He stepped down, and my anxiety spiked when I realized we had formed a crude line and that I was the last one in it. The girl I had seen headbanging earlier jumped up on the stage next, strumming an air guitar and howling. 

"WHASSUUUUUUP?! I'M ASH, THE ULTIMATE ROCKSTAR, WOOHOO!!"

She was approaching the edge of the stage too quickly for comfort, but before I could even open my mouth to warn her, she slipped and toppled off of it gracelessly. 

"FUCK!!!"

I instinctively began to make my way over to the girl to make sure she didn't injure herself, but I felt someone slip their hand into mine and pull me back. I looked up to see Jessie standing next to me, tightening her grip. I didn't quite understand; was she trying to protect me, or did she just not want me to help? Either way, I allowed myself to be pulled back in line as the woman with the husky companion took the stage. 

"Hi, I'm Jordan..."

She smiled softly at the crowd, one hand hovering over the dog's back. She flicked her wrist, and the husky obediently sat down. 

"... and this is Balto. I'm the Ultimate Dog Handler!"

Balto silently stared up at his handler, his tail wagging as he awaited further instructions. I felt my heart melt a little at the obvious love and trust between the two of them. 

The introductions carried on, and the line quickly became shorter and shorter; a barista named Liam, a hacker named Cass, an indie game developer named Kara, an archer named Yoann, a tinkerer named Sam, a machinist named Aaron, a movie director named Vivi... but the one that caught my attention was a girl by the name of Ember who claimed to be the Ultimate Luck. 

_I didn't even think luck could BE a talent... but I guess I don't have much room to say anything, seeing as I don't HAVE a talent._

That left Laura, Mako, and Jessie, who all introduced themselves briefly. The butler bowed while the herbalist curtsied, and the birdkeeper scratched under one of the bird's chins the entire time. 

And then there was one. I shakily made my way up the stage, gripping the straps of my backpack in an attempt to keep my hands from trembling. Fifteen faces stared up at me, thirty eyes judging my every movement. My body wanted to keel over; my head was spinning, and I could feel the bile rising in my throat. 

"I-I'm Blake," I barely managed to stutter out, my knees threatening to buckle under my own weight, "a-and... I... I don't... have a talent."

The crowd gasped and once more, they began to chatter amongst themselves. My head was pounding, my heart was racing, my mouth was dry. I could sense the colour draining from my face, and the last thing I saw was Jessie bolting on to the stage before my vision faded to black and I crumpled into nothingness. 

Vasovagal syncope. It's a sudden loss of consciousness triggered by the activation of the vagus nerve, which is the tenth cranial nerve that runs through your body. The underlying mechanism that causes the fainting is a sudden drop in blood pressure, and it's the most common type of syncope. It has many causes; over-exertion, stress, the sudden onset of extreme emotions... such as anxiety. Vasovagal syncope, or what I suddenly remembered I was diagnosed with upon being roused back into consciousness. 

My eyes shot open, and I gasped. My entire body was drenched with sweat; Jessie was cradling my head in her lap, and Vivi was holding my knees so they were bent. I groaned, and the herbalist swept my hair out of my face. 

"You alright?"

The director patted my knee, eyes peeking out from above her glasses. 

"You just like... collapsed."

I nodded, sitting up and rolling my neck around. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. It happens sometimes. I have a condition that makes me faint a lot. Don't worry about it."

I mustered up a smile, but it was wiped off my face instantly as the monitors on each wall of the gym lit up, buzzing with static. Everyone in the room froze, staring up at the screens. We were greeted by an obscured figure, their garbled voice making it impossible to tell their gender. 

"Welcome, participants. Now that you are all gathered here, it is time to explain a few things, specifically why you have been brought here."

With the help of Jessie and Vivi, I stood up on shaky feet, eyes glued to the screen nearest to me. 

"Each of you possesses a great talent, one capable of changing the world."

I gritted my teeth at that statement. 

"And you will kill each other, one by one. The rules of this game are simple. There is no escape from here. The only way out is to commit and get away with the murder of another participant."

The gym was filled with squabbling from the other so-called "participants," and I strained to hear what the figure was saying. 

"When a murder is committed, an investigation will take place. With the evidence you have procured, you will then attend a trial in order to determine the culprit. If you select the correct culprit, they will be executed. If you do not..."

The room fell completely silent, everyone focusing on the monitors once more. 

"... Then you will all be executed, and the culprit will walk free."

I clenched my fists, unable to even comprehend what I was hearing. 

"Rooms have been arranged for your indefinite stay. Nourishment is provided in the kitchen. Once that supply runs out... you will starve. Good luck, and happy hunting."

The screens flicked off, leaving the gym in stunned silence before it quickly descended into mass panic. 

My ears were ringing again, and I could only faintly register the sensation of my teeth digging into my bottom lip as I squeezed my eyes shut. 

_"EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!"_

I was jolted back to reality by Ash screaming over the crowd, quieting them. It was only when I looked up that I realized Jessie had slipped her hand into mine again. 

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I am not fuckin' dying here!"

The rockstar punched her fists together, puffing out her chest and smirking. 

"And none of ya are gonna die either, not if I have anything to do with it!"

"Who cares if we live or die?"

Liam's somber voice cut through hers as he folded his arms across his chest. 

"It's all pointless in the end anyways."

Ari shoved the barista, though he barely budged. 

"How can you possibly say that?! Not all of us are emo assholes like you, you know!"

He scoffed quietly as Laura spoke up. 

"H-Hey, we shouldn't argue! That's exactly what that person wants, right?"

Finally, someone was saying something that I could get behind. I pulled away from the herbalist, leaping down from the stage. 

"She's right, you know. Listen, I know we're all strangers, and... and we have no reason to trust each other, but... we have to."

Cass nodded next to me, perking up and setting her hand on my shoulder. I stiffened at the touch. 

"Besides, this is probably just one big joke! Like, do they really think we're gonna kill each other? That's crazy!"

I pulled away from the hacker, tugging at the straps of my backpack as I scanned the faces of the other participants, all while they stared right back at me. 

"... The doors?"

My attention fell on the so-called Luckster. 

"Why don't we just try the doors and... leave? Even if they're locked, I'm sure we could bust them down with sixteen people."

The majority of the group agreed, and before I knew it, I was following the crowd out of the gym, past the infirmary, all the way to what I assumed was the entrance of whatever building we were in. Tall, metal double doors were all that stood between us and freedom, and Ember gripped each handle with conviction. 

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. Life is never so simple. 

As soon as she pulled the doors open, we were assaulted by a barrage of snow and howling winds, knocking some of us to our feet. Ember stood strong, while myself, Aaron, and Griffin ventured out a few steps, the thespian clutching his hat so it wouldn't fly away in the gales.

"I don't really think we're leaving any time soon," the machinist murmured. 

I hesitantly agreed. Not only was it in the dead of night, but with the mountains surrounding us, it would be near impossible to make that trek by foot, and with a brutal snowstorm raging at that. But that begged the question...

_... How did we get here?_

Biting my tongue, I trudged back inside with the other two, shaking snow out of my hair as the doors closed behind us. Kara, the indie game developer, shifted her weight to one foot.

"Didn't they say we had rooms here for us? If we can't leave, we may as well, y'know, get some rest and come up with a plan tomorrow."

Defeated, we all mumbled before heading back down the corridor, each of us finding our own designated rooms. I ran my fingers across the nameplate affixed to the wooden door. 

_Blake_

With too many questions on my mind, I pushed open the door to find a rather spacious and roomy dorm. It wasn't really anything special, but it certainly wasn't anything to complain about. I stripped off my backpack and set it on the bed, unzipping it. 

Three packs of cigarettes (Marlboro Silver 100's, my favourites), a chrome Zippo lighter which I recognized as my own, a half empty bottle of root beer, and the rotten looking herb Jessie had given me. 

I sighed before flopping down on the bed like a dead weight, staring up at the ceiling. Eventually, I closed my eyes, and drifted off into an uneasy slumber. 

_Things will be alright. Someone has to be looking for us, right? And no way anyone would kill each other. People are better than that._

I didn't know just how dead wrong I could be.


End file.
